Miembro del Salón de Honor

2025 Induction Speech

In the 1970’s the Denver Folklore Center was the hub of folk and acoustic music in the greater Denver region.   It was a record store, an instrument and repair shop, a concert hall, and a music school, and it was where four young musicians found themselves working alongside each other.  Tim O’Brien and Pete Wernick both taught lessons at the Folklore Center, Nick Forester worked in the instrument repair shop, while Charles Sawtelle managed the guitar shop and together, they became Hot Rize, “the Greatest Show in Bluegrass.”

The Hot Rize name was taken from the secret ingredient of longtime bluegrass supporter Marth White’s Flour and there couldn’t have been a more appropriate name for the band.  What was Hot Rize’s secret ingredient?  Was Tim O’Briens clear, emotional lead and tenor vocals? Or was it Charles Sawtelle’s mysterious nature and unique guitar stylings? Or maybe it was Nick’s emcee work and poignant songwriting? It could have been Pete’s fresh approach to the banjo and musical drive?  Or maybe it was the almost brother-like harmonies? Or was it the Phase shift pedal? Or maybe it was those fellas from Wyoming, Montana. Whatever it was, it worked and 47 years ago Hot Rize embarked on a journey that would carve out a unique and special place in the bluegrass history books.  

Hot Rize hit the bluegrass world with a breath of fresh air. Steeped in the tradition, they harkened back to the first generation of bluegrass, performing in suits during an era where most bands opted for casual attire.  They performed around a single mic, creating a fun and visual aspect to their burgeoning stage show.  And with this, Hot Rize built upon the roots and stylings of traditional bluegrass, became the patriarch of what became the Colorado bluegrass AND jamgrass scene.  

As a band, Hot Rize was always thought of as a quartet, but Frank Edmundson was the unofficial fifth member of Hot Rize.  Though not on stage, Frank toured with the band, as both the sound man and tour manager.  In 1990, Hot Rize amicably disbanded from full time status, but would continue to play several reunions each year.  In 99, Charles Sawtelle passed away after a long battle with Leukemia.  In 2002 Hot Rize released “So Long of a Journey” and they recruited guitar wizard Bryan Sutton to fill the guitar roll while they toured to support the newly released album.  Soon after, Bryan officially became a member of the 21st century version of Hot Rize.

They toured the world-through Europe, to Japan, and Australia.  They appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, the WWVA Jamboree.  They performed on Austin City Limits and the Grand Ole Opry.  They were the first IBMA “Entertainer of the Year” in 1990 and “Collen Malone” was the IBMA song of the year in 1991.  They have released 11 albums in total -6 studio albums, 3 live albums, and 2 Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers albums. But maybe their biggest impact on the greater bluegrass world is the fact that so many of their songs have become staples in the bluegrass world.  Bluegrass pickers young and old sing the songs of Hot Rize in their homes and on their porches, at their local bluegrass picks, and in campgrounds at festivals across the country.  Hot Rize has joined the ranks of Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers, becoming the standards that initially grabbed them by the ears and pushed them down the bluegrass path. By being the band that has influenced so many younger bluegrass bands, and inspiring bluegrass pickers for almost 50 years, Hot Rize has carved out their own individual path in the bluegrass history books.

From humble beginnings as a regional Boulder-based band in 1978 to worldwide acclaim in the 80s, and bowing out as a full-time band in 1990 while winning the first Entertainer of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association, Hot Rize earned a place in the bluegrass history book.

In a unique continuing history, the band’s post-disbanding 24 years has seen a continuing growth of their legacy, with 2014 marking a re-blossoming of the fabled quartet, with the release of When I’m Free, a full album of new material, featuring new songs by all four members.

The Hot Rize story starts in 1977 when Pete Wernick, a.k.a. “Dr Banjo” joined forces with singer, mandolinist, and fiddler Tim O’Brien on their two solo albums, and formed a band with musician buddies from the Denver Folklore Center, with the initial intent to promote the two albums. The first gigs were in Boulder in January, 1978 with Charles Sawtelle on bass and guitarist Mike Scap.